adams



(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. S. ADAMS.

GARTRUCK. No.'566`,4118. Patented Aug. 18, 1896.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. Wi. S. ADAMS. Y

GARKTRUGK. No? 566,118. lfantented Aug.` 18', 1896.

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TH: Nonrus PETERS co., Pnoammq, WASHINGTON. n. c,

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER S. ADAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO JOHN A. BRILL, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,118, dated August 18, 1896.

Application filed March 20, 1894.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W ALTER S. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to pivotal car-trucks of the four-wheel class wherein an equalizing-bar is utilized for the purpose of distributing the weight of the superposed car evenly upon all of the wheels of thetruck and to support the truck-bolster, my invention, however, being capable of use in other structures.

The particular object of my presentinvention is to improve the bolster construction.

My invention therefore consists substantially in the bolster construction hereinafter described, and more fully pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specication, Figure 1 is a plan view of a truck complete embodying my improvements; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 3, a sectional elevation taken approximately on the line xx, Fig.

1; Fig. 4, a rear elevation, partly in section, approximately on the line y y, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5, a fragmentary perspective view of one end of the transom.

Similar numerals of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Before proceeding with the description of the details of construction illustrated herein I will give a short description of the general plan of structure adopted in this class of trucks, so that my invention can be better 5o frame, the equalizing-bar being used to distribute the weight of the car evenly on all the Serial No. 504,402. (No model.)

wheels. Almost invariably this equalizingbar has a central depression lying between its points of support on the axle-boxes. Thus it will be seen that the words truck-frame are to be distinguished from other parts in the truck structure by the function which it performs, to wit: a structure composed of wooden beams or iron bars, to which the journal-boxes or pedestals, springs, and other loose parts are attached, and which forms the skeleton of the truck, and by means of which the parallelism of the axles is preserved. An equalizing bar may be thus deiined: a wrought-iron bar which bears on the top of the journal-boxes and which extends longitudinally from one to the other, the sole function of which is to transfer part of the weight of the car on one wheel to the other, and thus equalize it on both.

In the forms of pivotal trucks now in use the truck-frame rests upon the equalizingsprings which find a support upon the equalizing-.bar and it upon the axle-boxes. In my construction I have reversed this order of arrangement and provided a truck-frame which rests upon the axle-boxes, in which are formed pedestals for preserving the parallelism of the axles, and upon the frame I have located the equalizing springs, and upon these springs the equalizing-bars, to which are secured the parts necessary to support a truck-bolster.

In the old style of truck the truck-frame is movable up and down in relation to the axles in accordance with the compression of the equalizing or other truck springs, and the equalizing-bar remains stationary on its support upon the axle-boxes.

In my structure the truck-frame does not move, nor is its position of rest upon the axleboxes affected by the movement of the equalizing or other truck springs, andthe equalizing-bar is made to take the place of the truckframe in moving up and down with such springs.

By so constructing the truck-frame thatit will lie below the equalizing-bar and the equalizing-bar occupy a position a very little higher than in the old form of structure I am able to give the superposed car its proper bearings on the truck at a point very much below the top of the wheel, and in fact nearer Ioo n the axle than to the top of the wheel. Of course this is a matter of adjustment, the main point being that the car finds a bearing upon the truck at a point considerably below the tops of the wheels, whereas in the old form the top of the truck is not only substantially as high as the wheel, and in many cases above it, but the truck-bearings are considerably above the tops of the wheels.

Among the resulting benets of my construction, as compared with that of the old trucks, is that I can place a car-body much nearer the axles in a vertical plane, which results in getting the center of gravity much closer to the track or nal support of the car, and incidentally reduces the number of steps necessary for forming an exit or entrance to the car, and, further, enables a very low station-platform to be used, wherefrom the pas- 'sen ger may enter or alight from the car without the use of any steps whatever.

I will vnow describe the general structure of my truck, calling attention to the fact that the various novel features of construction can be used in other relations without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The numeral 1 indicates the truck-wheels of an ordinary four-wheel truck, 2 the axles therefor, and 3 the axle-boxes, of usual or any desired construction.

The truck-frame in this case is of the type known as an axle-box frame, the leading feature or characteristic of which is that it is supported upon the axle-boxes, acts -as a truck-frame in preserving the parallelism of the axles, has pedestals for confining and guiding the axle-boxes, and remains substantially unaffected by the movement of the car upon the truck-sprin gs, whollyunaffected whensupported onV the axle-boxes metal to metal, and substantially unaffected when supported on the axle-boxes by means of a rubber or other cushion designed solely for the purpose of deadening the shock on the axle-boxes, the compression of said cushion being very slight, and which is wholly inadequate in this relation to resili'ently support the car-body, and is not to be confounded with what are termed the car-springs which are used solely to resiliently support the carbody. My invention is not limited, however, to the use of an axle-box frame, as the usual bolster-springs may be dispensed with and the car-springs located either between the truck-frame and the equaliZing-bar or between the axle-box pedestals and the axleboxes or in both positions.

The numeral 4 designates inverted- U- shaped yokes acting as pedestals for the axleboxes 3, from the lower arms of which extend the extensions 5, and which are united by the end cross-bar 6, the inner upright 7 of the yokes extending below the plane of the extensions 5, and which are united by a side barS, lying below the klowest part of yoke members. All of these parts maybe made separate and bolted together, if desired; but

I prefer that these parts be made intoa single piece of metalhomogeneous throughout, so as to do away with the necessity of bolts for uniting the parts, which weaken the structure, and which may be assembled by the process of welding, drop-forging, or any of the well-known ways.

Between the under side of the yokes and the tops of the axle-boxes are located the rubber or other spring cushions 9, before referred to. This frame entirely encircles or incloses the wheels and is at all of its parts much lower than the top of the wheels, and all of those parts, excepting a portion of the yokes, are on the same plane with or below the axles, the side bars being much below the axles.

Upon the side bars 8 rest the equalizingspring seats 10, which receive the equalizingsprings 11, of coil form and disposed vertically, which support in their turn the equalizing-sprin g caps 12, the caps in turn supporting the equalizing-'bar 13, the web of which is disposed vertically, and which is provided at its ends with a bifurcated enlargement 14, which embraces and is adapted to play up and down (or laterally, if desired) upon the inner uprights 7 of the axle-box yokes 4, which guides the equalizing-bar and limits or restrains its transverse movem ent,the axleboxes being provided with flanges 15, in which the yokes 4 are set so as to preserve them in their proper relations to each other and back up the uprights 7 in their limiting or restraining the tendency to a transverse movement of the equalizing-bar. As both sides of the axle-box or truck-frame (my invention, when broadly considered, enabling me to use these terms synonymously) are constructed alike, the description of the construction of one side will answer for both, and that of the equalizing springs and bar, dro., on one side being,

the same as on the other will answer lfor both.

The truck-bolster is resiliently supported upon the equaliZing-bar, and the equalizingbar in turn upon the truck-frame.

Although I do not limit myselfto anyspecial form of bolster structure, nor to resiliently supporting it upon the equalizing-bar, I, however, prefer the structure now to be described.

From the equaliZing-bars 'transversely of the truck extend the transoms 16, in this case formed of a channel-iron having avertical web 17, lateral webs 1S, the vertical web 17 being cut away to receive the equalizing-bar, as shown in Fig. 5, the ends of the lateral webs 1S resting upon the eqmualizing-bar 13, the vertical web 17 being disposed inwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 most clearly. lUpon the top of the transoms 16, at suitable intervals apart, are -secured the swing -hanger pivot-bearings 19, of usual-or desired construction, between which extend the upper swing-hanger pivots 20, from which pivots depend the swing-hangers 21, which engage, at their lower extremities, with the lower swing- IOO hanger pivots 22, the ends of which lind bear.

ings in the spring-plank bearings 23, which are rigidly secured to the spring-plank 24, upon which the elliptical or other form of bolster-spring 25 is secured,upon which spring rests the truck-bolster 26, the sides of which lie adjacent to the vertical web 17 of the transom`s 16. On the top of the bolster the truckcenter bearing 27 is secured, of any desired construction and height, preferably low to permit of the car-body being placed low, and upon the bolster, at any desired points removed from the center bearing, may be located the usual side bearings. This form of bolster suspension enables the car to swing transversely independent of the truck, but if this feature is not desired the bolster can be rigidly secured to the equalizing-bars and the car-springs arranged as before set forth.

By reason of the truck-frame being disposed or located below the equalizing-bar between the axle-boxes, and the bolster connections being made directly to the equalizing-bar, I am enabled to obtain a truck structure having, among other benefits, eitherenumerated or non-enumerated, that of gettingavery lowplaced car-body.

It is apparent that many changes and modications can be made in the present structure Without departing from the spirit of my in- Vention.

I-Iaving described my invention, I claiml. In a car-truck, the combination, with the truck-frame, of the transoms formed of channel-iron, with bifurcated or notched ends embracing a member of said frame, having Vertical webs opposed to each other, and a bolster' supported between and from the transoms adapted to bear against said vertical webs, substantially as described.

2. In a car-truck, the combination, with the bars 13, of the transoms 16 having a vertical web 17 and horizontal webs 18, the web 17 being cut away to form extensions of the Webs 18, which Webs embrace the bars 13, pivotblocks 19 on the Webs 18, pivots extending between the blocks, links, and a bolster supported by the pivots, substantially as described.

Signed at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, this 28th day of February, 1894.

WALTER S. ADAMS.

Witnesses:

M. H. MCNEIL, HENRY C. EsLING. 

